Catherine Ferguson and Dave Cobb at the start of the Original Mountain Marathon. (0662897)

A FORMER Guernsey resident is safe and well after having been caught up in the weekend’s flood-hit mountain marathon.

Catherine Ferguson, 27, who now lives in Troon, Scotland, knew the Original Mountain Marathon in Cumbria was going to be a challenge.

‘This was the first time I had taken part,’ said Miss Ferguson, who was one of the island’s first female Scouts. ‘We had checked the forecast, so knew what we were in for. However, it is very different when you are out in it.’

Miss Ferguson and partner Dave Cobb set off at 10am on Saturday. ‘At 9.50am the heavens opened and it began to get very cold and wet.’

The couple stayed on the mountain until 3.30pm. ‘We were walking into the rain and we couldn’t stand straight. There were scary points. Streams turned into rivers and it was hard to keep our feet.’

When the couple arrived at a road, they were told the run had been cancelled. However, their ordeal did not end there.

‘When we got back to the car, we had to wade through waist-deep water. Luckily ours was OK, but many others had been flooded.’